Water-vehicle.



PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903. H. A. HANSEN WATER VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED001'. as. 1902.

,NO MODEL.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES Patented September 8, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. HANSEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PAUL OLSEN,OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WATER-VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 738,436, datedSeptember 8, 1903.

Application filed October 28, 1902. fierial No. 129,080. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, HENRY A. HANSEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-Vehicles, ofwhich the following is a specification, such as will enable thoseskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved water-vehiclewhich may be propelled by the foot or by a suitable motor and which issimple in construction and operation and by means of which great speedmay be obtained; and with this and other objects in view the inventionconsists in a vehicle of the class specified constructed as hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, in which theseparate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable ref-' erencecharacters in each of the views, Figure 1 is a side view of my improvedwatervehicle, and Fig. 2 a plan view thereof.

In the practice of my invention I provide a strong main frame composedof steel tubes, bamboo rods, or any other suitable material, and thisframe comprises an upright front member a, a horizontal top member a anda downwardly and backwardly directed rear member a and suspendedcentrally of this frame in the form of construction shown is acrank-hanger b, said crank-hanger being suspended by means of a rod bwhich extends forwardly and upwardly, a central rod 12 which extendsupwardly and backwardly, and a rear rod 12 which extends backwardly anddownwardly, and the rods b b and b are connected with couplings b b and19 with which the rods or members a, a and a are also connected, andsaid rods 19*, b and Z) constitute a part of the main frame.

Mounted in the lower part of the end portions of the main frame is ashaft 0, the front end of which is provided with a beveled gearwheel 0and supported adjacent to the beveled gear-wheel c by means of a bracket0 or in any desired manner is a sprocket-wheel 0 provided with abevel-gear 4. In the form of construction shown the crank-hanger b isprovided with a pedal-shaft 01, having pedalcranks d this constructioncorresponding with and being similar to the corresponding parts of abicycle, and the pedal-shaft d is provided with a sprocket-Wheel (2which is geared in connection with the wheel 0 by an ordinarydrive-chain (1 The shaft 0 passes centrally through an elongatedpropeller-float e, which is pointed or conical at both ends and whichmay be made of any desired material, but which in practice is preferablymade of sheet metal treated so that it will not be injuriously affectedby water, and the propeller-float e is provided with a spirallyarrangedpropeller-blade 6 which extends from one end thereof to the other.

Mounted over the front end of the main frame is an ordinary handle-barf,similar to the handle-bar of a bicycle and provided with the usualhandle f and at the front of the main frameis aforwardly-directedbracket or support comprising top and bottom members f andf and anupright tubular member f through which is passed a rod g, the upper endof which is provided with a crossbar 9 which is connected by means oflinks with the opposite ends of the handle-bar f, and, the lower end ofthe rod 9 is provided with a forwardly-directed fork g and abackwardly-directed fork g in which is held a steering-float h. Thesteering-float h is similar in form to the propeller-float e, beingcylindrical in cross-section and pointed at both ends, and this floatmay be made in the same manner as the propeller-float e, and is providedat the bottom thereof with a longitudinally-arranged in-keel k The mainframe is provided with a seat 7;, similar to a bicycle-seat, and theoperation of the construction herein shown and described will be readilyunderstood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings. In practice the vehicle is placed in the water inthe manner of an ordinary boat, and the operator sits on the seat 71 andoperates the pedals d and the drive-chain d, and by means of thegear-wheels c and c the propeller-float e is rapidly revolved and thevehicle is propelled,as will be readily understood, by means of thespiral propeller e The steering-float it may be manipulated by thehandle-bar f so as to guide the vehicle in any desired direction, and itmay also be manipulated so as to aid in holding the vehicle in anupright position.

My invention is not limited to the exact form and construction hereinshown and described, and if necessary for the convenient operation ofthe vehicle the main frame may be provided with laterally-directedextensions having supplemental floats, which will rest on or in thewater and hold the vehicle in an upright position at all times.

It will be understood that in practice the propeller-float e is half ormore than half submerged at all times, as indicated by the dotted linej, and this is also true of the steering-float h,and the said floatswhile being preferably of the form herein shown and described may bemadein any desired manner and of any preferred material.

Although I have shown and described means for operating thepropeller-float by the feet of an operator, my invention is not limitedto this form of construction, and I may employ, if desired, a motor ofany desired form or construction which would be supported in the mainframe and geared in connection with the shaft Got the propeller-float.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A watervehicle comprising a main frame, a propeller-float mountedlongitudinallyin the bottom thereof and provided with a shaft, saidpropeller-float being circular in cross-section and pointed at the frontend, and provided with a spirally-arranged propeller, devices forturning the propeller-float, a support at the front of the main frame, arod passing vertically therethrough a steeringfioat connected with thelower end of said rod, a handle-bar connected with the main frame anddevices whereby said handle-bar is put in operative connection with thesteeringfloat-, substantially as shown and described.

2. A water-vehicle, comprising an upright main frame, aseat mountedthereon, a pedalshaft mounted therein, a propeller float mounted in thebottom thereof, said float being circular in cross-section and pointedat both ends, and provided at the front end with a gear-Wheel, asprocket-wheel operating in connection with said gear-wheel, asprocketwheel on the pedal-shaft geared in connection with thefirst-named sprocket-wheel, and

means for steering the vehicle, substantially as shown and described.

3. A Water-vehicle, comprising an upright main frame, a seat mountedthereon, a pedalshaft mounted therein, a propeller float mounted in thebottom thereof, said float being circular in cross-section and pointedat both ends, and provided at the front end with a gear-wheel, asprocket-wheel operating in connection with said gear-wheel, asprocketwheel' on the pedal-shaft geared in connection with thefirst-named sprocket-wheel, and means for steering the vehicle,consisting of a steering-float supported in front of the propeller-floatand means for operating said steering float, substantially as shown anddescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 27th day ofOctober, 1902.

HENRY A. HANSEN.

Witnesses:

F. A. STEWART, C. E. MULREANY.

